For the first time in forever
by Errol's Feather
Summary: Elsa's daughter Nora is having a coming out party in the royal circles. Of course Regina, Emma and Henry are invited. Nora is hoping she will find her unknown father at the party. Elsa is hoping to mend things with Regina after breaking her heart years back. As Emma and Regina arrive together Elsa assume them to be pair, but things are not always what they appear.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's note: Big thanks to ConfusedColumbia26220 for being beta on this one. **_

_**Author's note2: **_Nora is named after my late great grandmother, and she is of my own creation so please do not steal her.

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_**For the first time in forever **_

Chapter 1.

"Mom, is he coming today?" young Nora wondered, as she waited for her mother to finish braiding her dark brown hair.

"Who?" Elsa wondered as she tied up the end of the long braid.

"My father, I do have one right?" her voice was showing great hope. For years the young girl had grown up without a father. Fifteen of them to be exact, each time she asked, she had gotten a refusal. Elsa refused to talk of him, whoever he was. Each time she asked her auntie Anna, she dismissed it as well. Nora would never get why; clearly if she had been born she had to have had a father. To her knowledge no child was born without one, and her mother did not have dark hair like she did.

"You are so stupid, of course you have a dad or you wouldn't have been born," her cousin Freya said. The girls was the same age; Freya had the same hair color as her father Kristoff.

"Freya, manners," her mother said in a sharp tone, while Nora shot her a glare cold as ice.

"Yes, or at least the answer on the invitation said so," said Elsa with a heavy sigh.

"Cool, then I can finally met him," said Nora excitedly, while Anna and Elsa exchanged a glance over her head.

"Yes you will," said Elsa conjuring a crown as the last piece of the puzzle, putting it on her head, adding a, "There, all done, you look perfect, sweetheart."

"Great, thanks mom." She got up from the chair to give her a hug. A big smile on her face as she said, "Is it okay that I go to the library to read some before the guests get here?"

"Alright, but don't get the dress dirty or ruined," said Elsa with a warning tone. She nodded and left.

Anna put flowers in her daughters hair and said, "Same goes for you, Freya."

"Alright, alright," said she and left them.

"It is Regina, right?" Anna turned to Elsa, looking at her with wondering eyes.

"Regina what?" she wondered.

"That is her 'father'?" Anna said, rolling her blue eyes.

"I don't want to talk about it," Elsa evaded with a heavy sigh before leaving the room. Anna just shook her head at her older sister.

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Nora and Jonas was standing in the stairwell, seeing how Elsa and Anna was welcoming people to the ballroom before Nora was announced to make an entrance. Her heart was beating ever so fast, she was sure she would spot him...her dad, as soon as he walked in the castle. So far there had been no candidates.

"So who do you think it is," said Jonas, looking over the banister. "I mean all the dark haired men are, like, married." He was a kitchen boy and Elsa didn't really like them playing together.

"Would that matter ?" Nora asked. "They had a thing like before I was born, he most likely would be married again," she reasoned. She then heard a voice near the entrance to the ballroom say,

"You okay, Regina?"

"Fine fine, I just never thought I would be back here," the brunette answered, standing all regally in a black dress with white snowflakes.

Nora looked at her; the dress was unlike anything she had ever seen. It seemed like the snowflakes was alive, it was like magic. It was even snowflakes in her hair still from the snowfall outside.

"Turn, please turn," she whispered, her hands folded under her chin, her blue eyes were sparkling like stars.

"What are you doing?!" Jonas asked, frowning at her.

Just then as if she had heard, Regina turned to look against the banister, Nora ducked, so did Jonas, she pushed him in the side, making him squeal out in surprise. She glared at him snapping, "Shut the fuck up!"

"Hey you are not allowed to talk like that, you are the future queen," he lectured as he got up.

Too late Regina, Emma and Henry had gone inside. She showed him snarling, "Damn it now I missed her, you stupid, stupid boy!"

"Jeez calm down, you will see her when you make your grand entrance," he snapped back.

"Just how; there is a million people in there and there is not like mom is gonna tell me who she is!" she said with a huff, a fireball starting to form in her hand.

"Why do you care, there are tons of women in there," he wanted to know, stepping back a bit due to the fire.

"Because...because, never mind," without even much thought she threw the fireball at him and made him scream out in pain. She screamed out in horror too stunned to put it out even if she could.

Elsa and Anna heard the screams and came rushing. Emma and Regina did as well, mostly out of curiosity.

Elsa rushed up the stairs putting out the fire, getting the servants to take him away and call upon a doctor. She looked at her daughter, grabbing her arm hard, demanding, "Nora, what the hell did you do?!"

Regina looked from one to the other putting the pieces together, so did Emma as she whispered, "That girl, the princess...she's…."

"Mom, please I didn't mean to, I was just upset," Nora whispered, looking down at her shoes instead of meeting her mother's blue eyes.

"What did I tell you about controlling your powers?" she hissed, not caring that she had viewers.

"I know but sometimes it is too hard, I was upset and...Let me go I will do whatever you say for the rest of the night please," she whispered. Her eyes shining with desperation.

"I want you to go to your room and think about what you just did, I will get you when I want you downstairs," she ordered, annoyed.

"I hate you!" the young girl hissed and ran off.

Regina's dark eyes met with Elsa's icy blue as she came back down the stairs and shook her head.

"What?!" the snow queen snapped.

"You should have told me she was the reason why I was invited." Regina told her. "That I was her mother or rather father," she said walking down the stairs, passing Emma, ending up in the ballroom.

Emma let her best friend have breathing room and talked briefly with some of the guests. Having been in Fairytale land for about seventeen years now, she had learned how to do small talk, at least. She then stood watching young Henry as he was dancing with a princess.

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Thank you so much for reading this chapter, I would love to hear your point of view :o)


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

Regina went over to get another drink; this was a lot for her to swallow. Of course she had said yes to Elsa's invitation of a coming out party for her daughter. As a royal, it was the polite thing to do; even if the other woman had hurt her when she left her life many years prior. She couldn't be with her because she didn't love her like she thought she did. Regina knew it to be a lie. Still when she hadn't managed to convince her to do otherwise she had let her go and tried to move on.

It had never once occurred to the brunette that the younger woman was pregnant and scared of how Regina would have handled the news. Badly, knowing herself back then, she would assumed she had cheated on her rather than a magical pregnancy. Of course, being where they were it was not unheard of, but considering their daughter's age and them being in Storybrooke at the time, Elsa must have conceived her…

Was Elsa married now? No, Regina figured there was no ring on her finger and the invite had come from Elsa, in fact Regina had seen her deliver it herself. Of course, Elsa didn't know that. She looked over at the snow queen. She was nearing her forties now, she was quite sure. Her features was older, but other than that she looked the same as when they first met. Blue dress and all. She was talking to a king of some sort. It wouldn't be long until the young girl was to be presented. Regina left the room quickly, discreetly making her way up the stairs.

She found the door to Elsa's old room, recognizing it at once. She saw a similar door a few doors down. Her daughter's room, she didn't doubt.. She knocked. From the other side she heard,

"I am so not coming down mom, just leave me the hell alone!"

That was her daughter alright. She smiled as she entered saying, "I think we need to talk, but if you don't want your mother to find us we need to go right now. Is there any place you feel safe around?"

"The stables," she answered.

'Figures,' Regina thought. "Take my hands," she told her.

Once the young girl did, a sky of purple smoke surrounded them. it, When it cleared again, she saw they were in the stables. She looked at Regina with wide eyes."You're magical?" she asked in awe.

"Yes, me and the woman I came with, it is a long story, your name is Nora right?" she said. She thought the invitation said something about the coming out party for Freya and Nora.

"Yes it is, she is your consort?" she asked, confused.

"No, we share a son, I adopted him when he was young and she found me, we fought later we settled our differences. Now we are good friends," Regina admitted.

"Oh," she said, Nora studied her. Her dark hair was put up, dark like hers. Nora had the same eyes, only their color was the same as Elsa's. She had to be older than her mother, her hair was graying and her eyes had crow's feet wrinkles on the side. They seemed old and wise, she had a scar on her upper lip, and a few hardly visible scars on each side. Her hands showed signs of ageing as well.. Still the young girl found her most beautiful.

"Your mother is not married?" Regina wondered curiously.

"No, she never was. I think she loved my father once or whomever she made me with. I think her heart broke badly when she ended it. She at least says she ended it. She raised me with help from aunt Anna and uncle Kristoff," she explained.

"I see and she is a good mother, did she hurt you earlier?" she asked, nodding towards her arm.

"No it is fine, it could have been much worse. That sounded wrong she has never hit me or anything," she corrected quickly.

"She just have rules you need to follow," Regina concluded. The young girl nodded quietly.

"I know what that is like, so you run away with your horse?" she wondered. For a short moment her mind went back to when she was young, and tried to run away from her own mother.

"Oh no, I would never run away. I love it here, even mom, but I take him for a ride or I play with my reindeer," she said and smiled.

"So no complaints?" Regina wondered with a heavy sigh. She clearly wasn't needed in raising her at all. Elsa had managed fine on her own.

"Only one," Nora told her. "I always wanted to know my father, I mean I look a lot like mom, but I also look like whomever he is and maybe he could explain why I have powers my mom doesn't have," she said, looking down feeling a bit stupid. Actually, she didn't even know why she was confiding in this stranger.

"I think...I think that you don't have a father," said Regina with another heavy sigh, taking one of Nora's hands in her own.

"What?" Nora was confused. Clearly she needed to have that to be born.

"I was with your mother for some time before you was born, I would say around the time you might have been conceived. Our love...you don't come by love that strong very often. That and our magic combined I would say that resulted in you," she explained.

Nora stood up fast, looking at her in disbelief, surely she had to be joking. There was no way that could happen. She couldn't be….

Regina calmly produced a small flame in her hand, making it go bigger, before making it disappear."Seem familiar?" she asked. The girl mentioned having powers Elsa didn't have after all.

"I...have your hair," she whispered, realizing what she said was all true, it had to be. She went over and hugged her hard, tears streaming down her eyes and she was crying softly into her shoulder. She had found her father, or in truth, her mother after all these years. Regina let her cry, stroking her backside gently. Her heart grew with the new-found love she felt for the young girl. She had not felt something like that in the longest time, outside of Henry.

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Thank you for reading, feedback is much appreciated :o)


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

Back at the castle, Elsa knocked gently on the door to her daughter's room. She was feeling badly about being so harsh with her earlier. A deep breath before she opened the door, finding it empty.

She cursed beneath her breath as she went back downstairs. Maybe Nora had come down without her noticing. Her icy blue eyes searched the ballroom, finding all but two people, her daughter and Regina. She saw Emma talking to a duke and went approached her asking, "Have you seen Regina?"

"No not for some time, think she went out to get some air," Emma said, ever so calmly. The dark blue dress she was wearing brought out the color in her eyes.

"And you don't know how long ago she left?" Elsa asked, a bit surprised.

"Hardly, she is a free person," Emma said with a small laugh.

"You two are not..married," Elsa asked confused, noticing she had no wedding band on her finger.

"We came close," Emma answered. " But."... She went on, "Her heart belonged to someone else. We are just close friends in every way," Emma told her adding, "What is this about?"

"She is gone along with my daughter," said Elsa with a groan.

"You really expected her to stay away now that she know she has one," Emma rolled her eyes at her. The resemblance had been obvious to Emma as soon as she'd seen it.

"I wanted to talk to her about it," said Elsa in an annoyed tone. .

"Oh no, you lost that right," Emma spoke seriously, ready to give the woman her thoughts on the matter. She had grown protective of Regina, after all, and it didn't take much to understand she was looking right at the very person Regina had never completely moved on from.

"When you kept her daughter hidden for fifteen years, or longer if you count the pregnancy; you lost your say when you broke her heart by telling her you wanted nothing more to do with her. If she forgives you that is beyond my understanding. I wouldn't have. I don't care if you were young or scared or whatever you should have told her," Emma snapped defensively. Maybe it was hypocritical, considering how Neal had found out about Henry. The difference was, she didn't know until they were over. Regina never got Elsa sent away to prison, either..

"Don't you think I know all that," Elsa asked rhetorically." Damn it, I invited her to try to fix things, not make them worse. I know I was wrong back then, but I am trying here. I really am, it doesn't help that...that… you know what I don't need to talk to you," she hissed, leaving the room, leaving a trail of ice behind her.

Elsa was pacing back and forth in her room, this was not what she had planned, not at all.

Of course, it wouldn't be easy to talk to her after all these years. Especially since she broke her heart. Still she wanted to do that, try to set things right, tell her about Nora. Ask her if she still have a shot with her. Then again if her her heart was still taken by her, then maybe…

No, most likely, not as Regina would allow herself to go that way again, she was quite sure.

'Where are you?' she thought frustrated, groaning, snow falling down above her head.

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Feedback welcome and very mush appreciated :o)


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note:**_ I am sorry I am using so long to update on this, but it takes a little while to find where I should split the chapters.

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_**Chapter 4.** _

In time, Nora's soft sobs grew quiet as she calmed herself. Regina's dress was partly drenched by the girl's tears, but she didn't bat an eye. She continued to hold her until Nora broke away, whispering, "The party. Mom. We have to go back."

"I will talk with her," Regina assured was sure she somehow could manage to calm Elsa.

"No, this is a really big deal," she whispered, looking at the older woman. Her mother and Anna had worked so hard with this, to make everything perfect for tonight.

"We can walk back now," Regina told her.

The young girl nodded. As she was walking next to her, she asked, "You are Queen in another kingdom?"

"Yes, right across the sea," she answered with a smile. She added, "We travelled here by horse this time though, you can do that."

"Cool. Maybe I could visit you there sometime, if that is okay?"Nora wondered, looking at her with curious eyes.

"Of course, you can come any time you want, I would like to get to know you," answered Regina with a nod.

"I would like to get to know you as well," Nora replied as they reached the courtyard.

Just as Regina was about to respond, Elsa came flying out the main door to the castle. She had seen them coming and she was not too happy. She glared at Regina then her young daughter demanding, "Where have you been?!"

"I was in the stables, I needed some air and time to think," Nora answered, taking a would not end well she felt.

"And it never occurred to you to do that after your presentation? Nora, I asked you to do one thing, one thing only," she snapped. Her blue eyes flickering.

"It did, but everything happened so fast and I didn't know what to do. Go in and act as if everything were fine?" she snapped back at her mother.

"Well, I have managed to hold off your presentation, but now you have to come, we will talk about this later," Elsa told Nora with a heavy sigh.

"Alright, can I just check my hair and outfit in the mirror?" she asked, now polite and calm.

"Of course." Elsa nodded and the young girl hurried to find the nearest mirror. Elsa stood back and looked at Regina, asking tentatively, "Are you...coming?"

"In a moment, I wouldn't miss this for the world," Regina answered with a small smile.

Elsa's heart fluttered again. What was it about that woman that made her all tingly inside? Even after all those years. She smiled as she turned to walk into the ballroom.

Regina stood back for a moment watching before going inside to find Emma and Henry. 

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It was later the same night, after most of the guests had gone home, that Elsa went to find Regina. Regina had sent Henry to bed and she and Emma were about to do the same in one of the many guest quarters in the castle.

Elsa grabbed her arm, asking, "Are you going to apologize for taking Nora away from her party?"

"I will apologize for taking Nora away from the party, nothing more nothing less," quipped Regina in her usual tone.

"You have not changed have you?" Elsa asked. Clearly the other woman was never going to admit she was wrong, even if she was.

"In what way?" Regina asked for clarification.

"You are still stubborn and pigheaded," Elsa answered with frustration.

"So are you, what is your point here?" Regina's voice came out harsher than she meant it to.

"My point – Did you even feel anything when you got the invitation?" Elsa asked. It was the only one Elsa had personally delivered.

"What was I supposed to feel?" Regina asked in a rather bored tone. It wasn't as if she'd known just by looking at it that she had a teenage daughter she hadn't known about.

"You know, you're a stubborn ass, you never care about anyone's feelings than your own," Elsa spat at her.

"Me...me? Don't you dare, you were the one that broke my heart sixteen years ago! Have you any idea what it took of me to open myself to you and love you the way you did? Then for no reason at all you broke it off, telling me you didn't love me the way you thought you did. I felt fooled, unloved, scorned. Thanks to you I never dared to love again." Her voice was shivering.

"Why didn't you come back and fight harder if that was how you felt?" Elsa asked, exasperated.

"Because you shot me down and I couldn't bear to look at you," Regina whispered, turning away. Fight harder? How do you even fight someone's claim to no longer be interested? Call them a liar? Yes, that would go over real well.

"You felt something with that invite or you wouldn't even have come here!" Elsa's voice was rising now, as was ice that was growing on the walls thanks to her power and heightened emotions.

"Yes I did, for the first time in forever I felt something, seeing you deliver it. I knew it had to be important for you to do so," Regina raising her voice also.

"You saw me?" asked Elsa shocked. She hadn't known that.

"Of course, my balcony is right above the main entrance of the castle," Regina answered, rolling her eyes.

"Oh my... I forgot about that, I thought you weren't there," Elsa admitted, biting her lip.

"Well I was, and you are not that hard to recognize. You with your white hair wearing that white dress with red apple patterns." Regina looked at her.

Elsa swallowed, she had not been aware that Regina seen her, let alone notice what she had been wearing. Now she was lost on words. If she had known, why hadn't she come downstairs to talk to her? Clearly she had made an impression or she wouldn't have cared to remember what she had been wearing. She had accepted in good time that she would come along with company. That had made Elsa's heart drop at the time. Then again, who was she to expect her to stay single after all those years? She didn't realize it, but it had started to snow in the room.

"Oh stop it," Regina snapped making her aware and so she did with a heavy sigh.

Elsa looked into those brown depths with confusion asking, "Do you feel anything for me right now?"

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Thank you for reading, feedback is always appreciated :o)


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: I am so sorry for the delays on chapters in this story, I will try be quicker in the future.

**Chapter 5**

"Even if I did, I would not get into anything with you at the current point. You have hurt me enough," Regina said in a motionless tone. She was not about to let her heart be broken by the same woman twice.

"Heavens Regina, have you any idea how scared I was of telling you back then! I was afraid you would accuse me of having an affair and harm me. Your powers… I was scared of what you could do. Not only to me but too or child. Not to mention I found no logical explanation for it to happen," tears stung in Elsa's blue eyes now. It was the first time ever she had talked about this. How scared and alone she had felt about it all, it still hurt thinking back, about how she had pushed Regina away instead of confronting her with the truth.

"Of course I would have been upset and jumped to the wrong conclusion at first, but then I would have figured out that our love created Nora. I am certain it has to be true love or Nora would never have been born. I would have been there for you all the way, you never even gave me the chance," Regina's voice was shivering now. You could clearly see how much it all pained her.

"I need you," Elsa's voice only a sad and desperate whisper now.

"And I have learned to live without you," Regina didn't make a motion that she wanted to hug or kiss Elsa. Still she was fighting with every fiber of her being not to do so.

"I don't know why I am even trying," Elsa whispered, slowly walking towards the door. There was not even a chance in hell the two of them would get back together, she just knew. As soon as Elsa had left the room, Regina could hear Emma behind saying, "You can be such an ass you know that. Have you any idea what the woman had to go through to tell you what she just did."

"Have you any idea what I went through to even get here, to be able to face her again after all these years. Emma, I cannot go all in and risk getting hurt again, I am too old and fragile," said Regina looking at her companion.

"Old you may be, but you for sure are not fragile, not even close. So say you don't do anything and this is your last time to have a happy ending with her. Are you not even going to wonder about what might have been? Are you going to let her go and never look back, or are you going to fight for her?" Emma wondered.

"You are a true pain in the ass, Swan," Regina groaned knowing Emma was right.

"Don't be like that, we both know that you do love me," Emma pushed her playfully in the side.

"That I do but not as much as I love…I need to..." she said and hurried down the corridor to Elsa's room, tearing the door open and getting inside. She found Elsa on her bed crying sadly, now she was the one with a broken heart. Regina's old heart couldn't take it, she sat down next to her and pulled her into her arms. She was as ice cold as she had remembered.

"Elsa I..." the rest of the sentence was completely gone. Looking into those blue eyes, she lost the will to talk and just sat there, her jaw dropping in the process. Her mind was going blank, her lips going for Elsa's. She needed to kiss her. Elsa opened her mouth slightly to invite her inside, an invite Regina took rather quickly. After all she hadn't been with anyone in half a decade, it was about time she got some satisfaction or release to her urges. And right now they were running wild. In fact, for one short second it felt like she was a young princess running away to sneak a kiss with the stable boy.

Elsa couldn't believe how good of a kisser Regina still was, she hadn't been this excited in years and that was from a mere kiss alone. Wait did she want them to go all the way and was that a good idea. She wasn't sure. A moan escaped them both as they backed away flushed.

"I am not ready to go all the way, but I can sleep with you," Regina declared, she needed closeness, and she knew in all the rounds Elsa was the only one she wanted it with.

"You're burning up," Elsa commented, the brunette's body was hot as fire. Like the fire burning in her heart after all these years Elsa suspected. Then again Regina has always been hot in both senses of the word, extremely so when she was excited, or felt loved or safe. This was something Elsa learned early in their relationship.

"You can't get burned by me," said Regina, resting her head against her shoulder.

"I know I can't, much like you can't get frozen by me," Elsa leaned her head against Regina's closing her eyes.

"What was her first words, our daughter?" asked Regina curiously.

"Mama, look ice fire," said Elsa, adding, "She got her powers early on."

"How early?" asked Regina.

"She started making blue fire at the age of two," said Elsa with a heavy sigh.

"That's my girl," said Regina proudly.

"I knew you would say that, but it is not that funny when you need to put out fires all over the castle, you saw earlier how well that went," said Elsa very much frustrated.

"Only because you didn't learn her to control it, you can't even control your own powers how do you expect her to do it?" Regina wanted to know.

"Yeah you are the perfect example of that," said Elsa rolled her eyes slightly.

Regina didn't answer as she was not keen on starting another argument with her. She just wanted to stay close to her and cuddle, she didn't know why, maybe it was her age, but she was feeling tired. She hid her face in Elsa's shoulder, letting herself relax as she pushed her down on the bed and climbed on top of her. Elsa smiled stroking her, not saying anything, feeling how she slowly went limp on top of her. She smiled to herself, this hadn't been so bad, but there was a long time way until they could start anything she knew. Still this was a start.

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Thank you so much for reading, feedback is always appreciated :o)


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

Regina woke a couple of hours later and walked over to the window. She smiled seeing the snow falling outside, not due to Elsa, but on its own. She didn't really mind snow, just the cold that came along with it. If you didn't count her stepdaughter Snow White, which she wasn't all too happy about half of the time.

Her breath made a small fog on the inside of the window. Her finger carefully making a heart with the name Elsa inside. She made sure to brush it away. She was confused when she heard Elsa's voice behind her asking, "What are you doing?"

"Looking at the snow," she answered, finding she didn't mind her resting her arms along her waist and her head on her shoulder. Regina let her arms rest on top of Elsa's, this felt familiar and safe. Oh how she had missed this.

Without thinking she turned and kissed her light red lips. If she had worn her usual makeup, they would have been in a lighter shade of red. They were as cold as her breath was hot. Elsa's tongue almost forcing itself into Regina's mouth, her hand going to the back of her head entangling in her blonde strands. Elsa let out a moan into the kiss as she tongued her eagerly. Regina's free hand went to the back of Elsa's dress trying to free her from it.

"Wait," Elsa moaned into the kiss, freeing herself from her grip and removing the dress magically, Regina did the same letting hers fall on a nearby chair. She took Elsa back in her arms and pushed her down on the floor, straddling her, before she kept on kissing her. Hands going to cup her breast outside of her white bra. Elsa let out a deep moan coming from the back of her throat. Regina's hungry lips went for her throat, pressing lingering kisses all over. Elsa moaned, eager hands going to remove Regina's bra as they stroked along her burning skin. Next she went to push down her underwear, Regina on the other hand used magic to remove Elsa's. Slowly she started to ride her, but as her moans became louder she went faster and faster, kneading her breasts in the pleasure, feeling her juices dripping onto Elsa and mingling with them.

Elsa's hips moved with hers at a steady pace, letting Regina determined it. It didn't take all that long for her to come to an eruption, much like a volcano. She crashed down on Elsa full force, making her follow in her tracks.

The snow queen captured her, surprised she was even capable of doing so at her current age. Still she seemed as playful as once she had met her ages ago. Elsa could however feel how she went limp on top of her. Clearly it wasn't all easy doing that kind of activities after all. A soft smile on Elsa's red lips as she whispered, "Regina?"

"Mmmm," Regina was tired, the travel there had been long, not to mention the day itself. She was exhausted.

"Focus, wouldn't I'd be better to sleep in the bed?" Elsa tried, no answer, none at all. Again she tried, sighing heavily, she was asleep she knew. Oh well it wasn't the worst thing that could happen she figured. It would have been so much worse that lying on a pile of snow with that woman she had been longing for since she broke it off sixteen years ago. That indeed could be worse. She used her powers getting one of the covers off the bed so that Regina would not be cold where they lay. She on the other hand would never get cold from the snow as it was her element and so she closed her eyes letting herself fall to rest by the sound of Regina's steady breathing.

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Thank you so much for reading, feedback is always appreciated :o)


	7. Chapter 7

**_Chapter 7_**

Early morning rose and Nora was feeling ever so badly about her behavior the previous day. She wanted to apologize to her mother and take her punishment whatever it might be. The young girl knocked on the door to her mother's room. Her door was the most beautiful one in the castle in her eyes. The door that was no longer locked, or maybe it was always open for her, she knew that her aunt Anna rarely came inside that very door. She still knocked out of politeness, knowing she never had to. Elsa never minded her coming inside, even when she was upset with her. No answer, that meant she was most likely still asleep. Nora knew she could wake her with a tickle or snow attack. Of course Elsa would be upset at first, but she rarely minded that either. She carefully opened the door to not wake her just in case she was asleep. When she however did so, she gasped seeing her mother was not alone, Regina was in there sleeping as well, the cover half of them showing they were both mostly naked. She wrinkled her nose not getting it, weren't they arguing the night before. She swallowed getting out, "Mama, what are you two doing in be...in the snow together?"

It was not an unfamiliar concept for her mother to sleep in the snow, in fact they had even done so when she was young. But finding her mother naked with another woman that was not cool at all. At least in her eyes.

"Mmm," Elsa let out, groaning trying to make herself more awake.

"Elsa dear, company," Regina said calmly, fully aware of the situation before her love. She sat up a bit, pulling the cover around her saying, "We were playing in the snow and we did fall asleep afterwards."

Elsa sat up, using her powers to fashion an outfit, Regina wished she had those powers that could come in handy. Of course she could dress and undress using her magic, but unlike Elsa and her mother she could not create new outfits. The blonde opened her eyes slowly and looked at her daughter.

"Sure you were, in any case I am going down to the town to buy something, do I need an escort or can I go alone?" she asked polite.

"I would prefer if you had someone with you, but I will not demand it," Elsa said with a sigh.

"Alright, I will ask someone, is there any time I need to be back?" she wondered.

"Preferably before dinner, but no later than nightfall," she said and smiled at her.

"Okay, see you later," said Nora and hurried out the door. Once outside she went looking for Kristoff, as he was usually the one to take her when she went anywhere. Unlucky for her he was busy and so was her aunt. She sighed as she considered one of the royal guards, but they were no fun, when she spotted Emma and Henry out in the court yard talking. She smiled as she walked over saying, "Excuse me, are you two very busy?"

"Not at the moment no," Emma answered, looking at the young brunette with wondering eyes. Henry looked at her curiously. He was now twenty-nine years of age and he was looking more like his father every day.

"I was wondering if it is not too much trouble, if you could come with me to town. There are some things I need to buy and I rather not go alone. I would ask a guard, but they are kind of hopeless to shop with," said she honestly.

"Sure we'll come, we would love to see the town," Emma said with enthusiasm.

The young girl looked over at Henry that said, "I could always buy another weapon or clothing."

Living in Fairytale land he sometimes missed the luxury of the modern world, like showers, water closets and so on. He had however learned to live with it over the years.

"Great, I owe you big time," said she and smiled even brighter at them. Emma smiled back, so did Henry saying, "You look like mom did when she was younger, only not the eyes."

"Really I do," Excitement in her voice as she started to walk towards the gate. The two other following her.

"Yeah you do, before she got everything taken away and became evil, she can be really dangerous," he said with a heavy sigh, adding, "She's not anymore though, she had a change of heart somehow."

Emma ruffled his hair saying, "You got something to do with that, kid, without you she would be lost."

"Oh," Nora looked down towards the ground. She truly wished she could have been a part of her world, and that she could have been loved by her growing up.

"Don't worry, I am sure she will learn to love you too," Emma said in a calm tone, as if she had read the mind of the young girl.

"I just wish I knew her sooner, but mom...she never wanted to talk about my father, or in this case mother, ever, I was starting to think I was made by her magic and desire alone. It is stupid I know," she said with a heavy sigh.

"I heard and seen crazier things in my lifetime," said Henry with a small laugh.

"Really you have?" she wondered, looking at him with questioning eyes.

"Ever seen a hell beast, a time portal opening or things coming out, or dead people coming back to life?" he wondered, looking at her.

"Never, wow that sounds so scary," she said with a heavy sigh. It all sounded pretty messed up in her eyes.

"You have no idea, kid," Henry said in a superior tone.

"Hey I am not a kid anymore," she said in a matter-of fact way.

"Sorry, princess," he rolled his eyes.

"I am not a princess I am so much more, I am going to be the greatest ruler that ever was," she said, certainty in her voice.

"Now where have I heard or rather read that before, oh yes, mom used to say that when she was young and she ruled unjust until she changed her ways," he said and shook his head. Emma watched them, seeing that young girl was a total copy of her mother. She couldn't have been any more alike Regina even if she tried. In a way it was scary to think of the fact that she had inherited the powers of both Regina and Elsa, the things she could do if she lost her temper was even more terrifying to think about.

"I would never rule unjust, I care for my people," she argued and looked at him with shocked eyes. Just how bad had her Regina been when she was young. Was that why Elsa refused to talk about her when she grew up.

"At least that is good," said Henry as they passed a beggar on the marked square, he didn't even cast him a glance. Nora on the other hand bent down to his level asking, "How are you, sir?"

"Not to good, your highness," said he with a heavy sigh. This was rough times for him and his family as he had just lost his job.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked polite, feeling sorry for the middle-aged man that had to beg to survive.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he objected.

Nora went in her purse and found a few golden coins, handing them over saying, "For food, I have more than enough of these."

"Thank you so much, how can I ever repay you?" he asked, looking at her with tears streaming from his eyes.

"By getting food," she smiled, slowly walking further into the market place. Emma frowned looking at Henry whispering, "What if she didn't just gain their powers, but also their hearts, their humanity and love. If that is the case she will be the greatest ruler that ever was."

"It can be dangerous if she helps everyone, wouldn't that cause bankruptcy?" he wondered, that was a bit concerning in his eyes.

"Not if she could find a way to help more at once," Emma looked at the young girl standing at a booth to buy some fruit. Her voice was calm and gentle, as she exchanged words with the saleswoman about the fruit and from what Emma could hear her family.

"Emma, get real that surely is not possible," said Henry as Nora came back to them, eating on a red apple she had just bought from the marked. Her wavy brown hair blowing in the air, a soft smile on her lips, her blue eyes sparkling. Henry knew that smile from the pictures in his book, the smile his mother had had when she was young, a genuine smile.

"Tell me about her," said Nora, looking at them, they had after all known Regina for a long time, she however had not.

"Who?" Henry wondered, even if he knew who she meant.

"Regina, tell me about the woman from who I have half my genes, the one whose name means queen, the one that I do not know too well yet," she said.

Henry looked at Emma, for her to do the honor of answering the question. She took a breath saying, "Regina, where to start. She was too quiet or too loud. She took things too seriously or not serious at all. She was too sensitive or too cold hearted. She hated with every fiber of her being or loved with every piece of her heart. When she was young, she was much like you, lively and positive, she believed in love, but her mother crushed the heart of the boy she loved before her eyes. Her mother forced her to marry a king because that was what she thought best. Young Regina learned to become the stepmother of Snow White through betrayal and that marriage of love was only a fairytale. That a happy ending was not meant for her. She cast a curse that banished all to my world, where no one could remember who they were. But that was not before killing her husband and ruling the lands with an iron fist. All to get back of the one that made sure her love died, the ignorant child, which was my mother. Well she still is.

Regina then learned that even in this world happiness was not something you just got by casting a curse, that it just caused a void inside her. And so she adopted my son Henry, but even so his love she had to fight for and she did, with every fiber of who she was. She loved him and held on to tight and he went in search of me. I came back and broke the curse she cast on everyone. They would have gone for her head but I stood in their way. We have been to hell and back as she lived as a slave to her emotions and it took a hell of a long time for her to control them, only now she know how. Only now she rules just like a queen should."

"My mother, did that change her, the view of love along the way?" she asked her.

The blonde thought for a second before she said, "It did, or at least after what I know, but she again got her heart broken, then there was a case of a man and she even tried to love me, but she never fully got over your mother."

"You think she can allow herself to love her like she once did and stay here, I want to know her, I need her in my life, in a way I think I always did," said the young brunette. Emma smiled at her, she reminded her so much of Henry when he had once come to find her, that seemed like ages ago.

"I don't know, it isn't only up to her, but your mother also, give it time," Emma said in the softest tone.

"Alright, you want an apple they are the best," she held the red apple up before Emma. A laugh escaped her remembering how Regina once offered her a basket full of red apples so long ago. She took one saying, "Thank you."

Henry looked at her, the young girl that was so much like his other mother and she didn't even know how much. Down to the fingertips that offered Emma the red apple, although as Nora did it from the goodness of the heart, his mother had always done it with an ulterior motive. His mother, not their mother he knew. Because even if Regina was not his mother by blood, she was since birth the first and only mother he knew. Even if he had fought her so very hard, he was glad she had never let him go. He had learned to love her and he truly hoped that Regina would let Nora close even if that was too much to ask.

"Henry, you like swords right?" the young girl asked, drawing him back to reality.

"Sure do," said the young man, smiling at her.

"I can show you where to get some really cool one if you want, or a horse if you are in marked for one?" she wondered, looking at him.

"I am actually looking for a new horse as my old one is getting well...old," he said and smiled at her. She nodded and lead the way to a place where they sold horses and Henry excitedly started to look for one. Emma looked with him, sadly for her that caused her to lose track of young girl. Then again she suspected her to know her way around and that she would find her way back to them whenever she was done with what she needed to do.

* * *

Nora had sneaked into a nearby tavern to see one of the waitresses. She smiled by the sight of the redhead saying, "Hi Andrea."

"Nora, I didn't know you would come back today," she smiled brightly, bringing her a glass of hot cider.

"I managed to sneak out, mom is occupied, you know my dad that had been gone for all these years, he came back. Or rather she it is complicated," said the young girl excited.

"Really, does that mean they will fix things then?" Andrea wondered.

"Not sure, hope so," she took a sip of the cider, it tasted delicious.

"I totally get that, staying here long, I am soon on my break," said the other and smiled at her.

"I can stay for that, then I need to get back to Emma and Henry, the son of my second mother and the one she came with last night," she explained. Andrea raised a brow but she didn't' say anything to that. She instead went back to waiting on her customers.

In the end Henry ended up buying a horse and a dagger before Nora came back walking towards them. Her cheeks in a color of radiant red. Emma smiled at her son saying, "You see that, she met someone she is in love with."

"Wonder if Elsa knows," he said with a small laugh.

"I seriously doubt it," said Emma, as she looked at Nora, saying, "You got all you came for?"

"I just need one more thing, for Regina" she said and smiled at her. She was floating on clouds.

The young princess knew she was in deep with Andrea and there was nothing she could do to stop it; in fact she also knew there was no way her mother would approve if she knew. After all she was to marry someone royal, not of love.

Nora would never get how she could even say that, considering Elsa never married herself, but she knew better than to question it. She knew better than to push on the things her mother did not want to talk about. She took a deep breath as she headed for a small bakery to buy some pastry she wanted Regina to try. She also quickly stopped by a store to buy some new fabrics, for a dress or a skirt. As she finished she looked at Emma and Henry saying, "I am ready to go back, if you don't need anything else."

They shook their heads and Emma said,"You really wanted to meet him, didn't you, your father I mean."

"Of course, if you didn't grow up with one, wouldn't you?" the young girl wondered.

"I did, my parents sent me away as a baby, only I was just upset with them doing so, I never got how they could just let me go," said Emma with a heavy sigh. To this date she could never quite get it. And Neal, which by now was at the same age as Nora, he had gotten it all, her parents never even knew what her first word was, only she knew that, they were three words. She had only told one person and that person was Regina, Emma knew she would never tell. They were teddy as she had gotten a teddy bear at the orphanage, one she never was without. If you didn't count her baby blanket that was. The second word were to be no, a rather firm one that was as she didn't want anyone to tell her what to do. The third one had been rather ironically hope. Hope to find a family, hope that she would never be alone, hope that she would be loved. She however learned only one thing as she grew older, no one really wanted her. She never got why, in fact she would never get why. Until there was Regina and Henry.

Come to think about it, even when they fought, Regina had proven to be more of a family to Emma than her parents. Maybe it was because Emma never trusted her parents, or maybe it was that she at first didn't really need that from Regina, the trust, still she in the end ended up doing it. She by now knew that even if Regina and Elsa were to be married in the future, she would always have her back. She looked over at Henry and Nora that were talking about something regarding taking care of horses. In Emma's eyes they almost looked like brother and sister.

Emma sighed, she always wanted more children it just hadn't happened. With Hook they broke up in the end, she found that he was not a good guy she had hoped. He had lied one time too many and in the end she got feed up and told him to get back to the ship. Henry seemed pleased by that, even if he liked the pirate, he didn't seem to like him with her.

Now Emma was single again, she had dated some in the Fairy tale land, but had never found anyone to quite settle with. There was someone thought, someone that over the years that had been with a lot of people. Someone Emma had grown closer to over the years. Someone she might even consider to love, but the blonde wasn't sure.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading this chapter, feedback is always most welcome :o)


	8. Chapter 8

**_Chapter 8_**

Meanwhile back at the castle Regina and Elsa had managed to get fully dressed after Nora left them. Regina looked at Elsa saying, "Would you close my dress at the back, please, not too tight?"

Elsa nodded, she came over and fastened the hinges on the back, saying, "Is that alright?"

"Yes, I don't get you, you know," said the brunette. She turned to face the blonde, even if her hair was now in a whiter shade, she would always consider her a blonde. Her features were now older and her face was more serious looking, but Regina found her to be still beautiful.

"I am sorry, what don't you get?" Elsa's blue eyes showed signs of confusion.

"Your daughter is like you a royal, and you seem to protect her and have a close watch on her at every moment. Still when she is going to town you don't seem concerned, why?" Regina asked, eyeing her closely. To her there seemed to be no logic in that at all.

"I usually go to check on her when she is there and I know she hate to go without company. I trust she has brought someone, if I ask my servants they will tell me who," she shrugged. After all her staff had as a rule to always report to her.

"So even if she could go alone she would not," said Regina with a small smile. She hated to admit it, but she liked the way Elsa was thinking.

"She know I disapprove when she does not, besides she would get bored alone. Come to think of it I don't think she has ever gone anywhere alone ," said Elsa with a small laughter, adding, "To tell you the truth I wouldn't have minded if she went alone as long as she came back after, I trust her."

"And if she comes back some day with a man or woman of her choice would you approve?" Regina wondered. She knew she would want her daughter to have the right to choose who she loved, but would her former companion.

"I would prefer a royal match, but if the person of her choosing treats her well and have a job I shall approve," said Elsa with a heavy sigh. She had a feeling her daughter had already found someone that had stolen her heart in town.

"You lowered your standards why?" Regina asked, she couldn't help but to be a bit surprised. Had the woman she had once known, gotten softer over the years they had been apart.

"I just want her to be happy, to have love in her life, to be able to be with her love without anything standing in their way," said Elsa. She looked away, she didn't know why it felt so hard to look Regina in the eyes right then.

"Need I to remind you that nothing stood in our way, you were the one that ended it," said Regina, just like that her walls were back up.

"Regina, you know I was scared, have you any idea how much more powerful you were back then. Even if I could have frozen your fire, you could have crushed me like a bug with light or dark magic," she snapped, ice shooting from her hands. She didn't mean for it to happen, but her emotions got the best of her.

Regina smirked, in a way glad some things never changed, like Elsa's hot temper. She didn't go against her, instead she wrapped her arms around her, leaning her head on her shoulder whispering, "You don't scare me Elsa, I wouldn't have crushed you and I won't do it now either."

"Would you stay if I asked you too, I am sure Emma could take over as Queen in your round," she calmed, a small sense of hope in her voice. She knew she was asking a lot now.

"I am not sure Elsa, we only met again yesterday, after all these years," Regina's heart was pounding so hard, she thought it would jump out of her chest.

"Please, we could have all we ever dreamed about, Henry would also be welcome to stay if he wanted of course," Elsa said and cupped her cheek, stroking it gently with her thumb.

"I am too old for games, Elsa," said Regina in a soft tone.

"I am not playing games, Regina, please stay with me this time, stay and get to know our daughter. She would love it. I am not asking you to marry me, not right away. Stay and let us find a way back to each other," she whispered, letting the other hand go to place itself over Regina's heart.

Regina felt like she was spinning, that her head was beating faster than ever, that she was losing control, she was losing her ground and as much as it scared her. The worst thing about it was that she didn't mind it at all. She took a deep breath. Stay and perhaps have the happy ending she always wanted to or leave and turn her back to it. She knew leaving was what Elsa deserved after hiding the truth for her for so many years, but there was another person to consider this time, their daughter, Nora. But if she stayed she would not see Henry as often, and Emma… Over the years in passing she had grown to be her friend and confidant. She broke from the embrace, saying, "I need some time to think about it."

"You can have all the time you want," Elsa knew better than to push her. Regina gave her a dignified nod before she left the room.

* * *

On the way down to the dining hall Regina met Anna and Freya, mother and daughter seemed to be arguing in the hallways, she gave a short greeting in passing. From what she could hear their argument was over the fact that Nora was allowed to go alone to town and Freya was not. Not to mention how unfair it was that Nora was supposed to be queen one day and Freya never would. The brunette smiled hearing Anna growl as she started a lecture.

The aging Queen wandered further to the dining hall, where a servant quickly attended her needs of breakfast. She was soon served fruit, bread and cheese to her liking. Regina offered to make it herself even, but that was unheard of, she was royal after all. She sometimes missed the days in Storybrooke where she could do it all herself. In many ways life had been much simpler there.

"You alright?" she heard Kristoff's voice behind her. The iceman came inside the dining hall. He had seen Regina in there and grown concerned as she didn't look all too happy, rather sad.

"I am not sure, I really don't know what to do," she said, gesturing for him to join her at the table.

"Do you love her?" he asked polite.

"It isn't about it, it is... that she lied to me, if the situation was reversed what would you do?" she wondered. He seemed like a good man and a good father.

"I would firstly want to know my daughter; she hasn't really done anything to you. She didn't even know about you until yesterday Regina, Elsa never talked about you. Elsa has been hardened a bit over the years, refused to take to anyone else. I even heard her cry for you at night when things got hard when Nora was growing up. She was so lost, but too proud to go to you and admit anything. Tell you she was wrong, that she needed you," he said.

"She is asking now, for me to stay, but I don't know," she said frustrated. It was all a lot to take in.

"We both know she won't ask again, so it is now or never," he said in a gentle tone.

"I don't only have her to consider, her and Nora, I have a son and a kingdom as well," she said honestly.

"Weren't you the one that usually went heart over head?" he asked with a slight laughter.

"And look where that got me," she said with a huff.

"It is not too late, if you stay she will make it up to you in more ways than one," he reminded, getting up. As he walked towards the door, he said, "Take a look in the west wing of the castle, there is something there you should see, inside the second library, I trust you to know where it is. It has been closed for some time, but I am sure you can find a way inside."

* * *

Regina sighed finishing her breakfast before she found her way out of there. She hadn't really been in the castle all that much, but she knew Elsa's room to be in the northern wing overlooking the sea, her family close to her, the eastern wing was where they servants slept on top, there was some rooms for exercising and so on underneath, and the west wing was the second library, another tower and some guest quarters, by the looks of it, the place was closed down all over. Spider webs along the hallways seemed that no one had been there for a decade. She smiled when she came to the end, a bigger door, using a spell to open it, quite right a library. It was like most other libraries in a castle, big, filled with shelf after shelf with books, by now dusty. She browsed through the book titles, nothing unusual, a picture of Elsa and Anna's parents on one wall, a picture of what she assumed to be their mother and her siblings on another. They looked younger and happy. It made her wish that she had siblings growing up. Regina took a breath walking further into the library, when she saw something on a wall that almost made her heart stop, a painting of her and Elsa. She was sitting under an apple tree with a small bae in her arms. She was sleeping and so was the baby against her chest. Elsa was sitting close by, looking over the cover of a book she was reading. Her eyes shining with love.

Regina's heart stood still, she had wanted this, really wanted this, still she had never managed to tell her. the brunette took another breath before she walked to the shelves nearby, taking out a book, finding it was a diary, she started to read, finding it was about Elsa and Nora as she grew, written in letter form to her. It seemed it was written so that Regina would never miss a single moment as the young girl grew up. And so the brunette started to read.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading this chapter, I would love to hear your point of view :o)


	9. Chapter 9

**_Chapter 9_**

"Hey, give it back," Henry yelled, as he was running after Nora that was now on his horse. She was riding him fast through the castle gates, no rains and no saddle. Emma was running behind them wondering how the heck that happened, she groaned over the fact that the young girl couldn't be any more like Regina even if she tried. Only instead of running from the castle like she had done, she was going back, laughing cheerfully. To her this was all a game.

At least until she saw her mother standing at the opening to the castle, and made the horse halt at once. She got up and handed the horse to Henry saying, "Sorry, Henry."

"It's okay, you're my little sister after all, you are supposed to bug me," he said with a laugh.

"Awww did you hear that mom, I have a big brother, how cool is that," said she excitedly.

"Very cool I am sure, but I would appreciate if you didn't steal horses and rode like that, I mean you could get hurt," said Elsa in a worried tone.

"I couldn't I was in control, but I won't do it again, promise," said she, looking down as if she was sorry.

"Alright, in with you, you are having a lesson in history," said Elsa with a sigh.

"Can I see Regina first?" she asked her politely.

"After, now run along," said Elsa in a serious tone, making her leave them. Henry took his horse to the stable to feed and care for it. In the meantime, Emma asked Elsa, "Is everything, okay with Regina?"

"Not sure, I haven't seen her since an hour after you left, we talked and it is complicated, she should be in the west wing, the library," Elsa said as she walked back into the castle.

Emma shrugged as she went in search of that part of the castle, she soon found it. She walked inside looking around between books, spider webs and dust, until she found her sleeping in a chair under the picture of herself. In her hands a closed book, next to her a whole pile similar to the one she was holding. Emma picked up one from the floor, carefully to not wake her. She saw it on the first page, "To Regina, my dearest Queen."

Letters, she figured, but about what, curiosity led her to read further.

**_To Regina my dearest Queen._**

**_I was going to start these books when I felt our bae kicking inside me. I am sure it is a she and that she is strong and powerful like her mother. At least her kicks are. I miss you so much, you have no idea just how much, when I lay in bed at night, stroking over my growing belly, I picture that you are with me. I am almost driven to insanity by the fact that you are not. Still I cannot bring myself to contact you, what will you think of me. Besides until yesterday I more or less looked like a fat cow, not the Elsa you once knew, I am not now either. Now I am a mother, the mother of our baby girl. _**

**_I had no idea giving birth could hurt so much for so long, but that is probably my punishment for lying to you, for keeping her from you. The first couple of contractions were easy enough, some minor pain only, in fact I thought they were cramps at first as they stopped for a while. Then they started again, more force now and they went on and on for lord knows how long. I lost track, I don't even remember how long it took before my water broke, only I was alone in the ice castle. I lay there wrecking, crying and sweating in pain. Outside a snowstorm was forming, I was screaming out your name in vain, hoping you would hear me and come to my aid. I slipped in and out until my body told me it was time, by then it was early morning, the pain had started the morning before. My body worked for me it would seem as it pushed her out, it burned and it felt like I was being ripped apart, she came out and some other stuff not long after. I just grabbed her and lay there for a while I was exhausted. _**

**_I don't even remember returning to the castle, heck Kristoff or Anna must have found me and brought me back. She was cleaned up when I woke in my bed, she sleeping in a crib next to it. Making cute sleeping sounds. I am so sorry that you are not here, can you ever forgive me when you learn about this._**

**_Yours always _**

**_Elsa. _**

Tears in Emma's blue eyes as she closed the book and looked at her sleeping friend. So beautiful and at peace, some of her dark strands had fallen down in her face by now, her hands in her lap atop of the book, her mouth halfway open.

The blonde didn't leave her, she sat there quietly, watching, waiting for her to wake. It wasn't the first time she had done this over the years, as they had been through so very much together. In time thought, the brunette did wake and Emma looked upon her saying, "Hi."

"Hi," came the answer, and for a second they were back in the forests of Neverland to save Henry. A small smile on both lips.

"How are you feeling?" Emma nodded towards the piles of books.

"Confused, hurt, glad she wrote it all down," she said, adjusting into a better position.

"So what are you going to do?" said Emma, smiling brighter at her.

"I wish I knew, but this is hard, so much has happened, to me, to her, to us over the years. If I stay I will be close to Nora, but not close to Henry and you, if I fuck up I will have no one to talk to. On the other side I know I could be happy here with her, with them and I have missed her so much," she answered truthfully.

"You could always poof to see us, or there is more than one way to travel. I get your point though and I won't tell you to stay or go home with us. I can only say that you two belong together and that woman is even more nuts about you than I once were," said Emma with a small laugher.

Regina laughed as well, asking, "Do you ever miss Storybrooke and the life there?"

"I miss showers, hot chocolate at Granny's, and the beds are nicer, and shopping was much easier and pizza, I miss pizza, why do you ask?" Emma wanted to know where she was going with this.

"What if we could go back there," said Regina thoughtfully.

"Could you even do that?" Emma wondered, and if so why hadn't she suggested it much sooner.

"I can, I just thought that if I were to start something with Elsa it might be best somewhere far from here," she said with a sigh. Fresh start with blank papers, that might be better.

"You prefer running, rather than facing things like they are," Emma raised her brows at her friend.

"Maybe I should just go back," Regina huffed, this was getting too hard, way too hard for her. She hated it, she hated that Elsa had hidden her own daughter from her for so many years. She hated that she hadn't gone back for her so she could have found out sooner. She hated that she had missed her own daughter growing up, she felt like it was now too late to be a part of her life. Even if the diaries had showed her bits and pieces of her upbringing it was not the same as being there. She got up from the chair and started to pace back and forth now. Emma stood in her way, blocking it, saying, "Talk to me, Regina."

"I just...now I know how you felt with Henry, seeing him again after all those years, what it is to miss out on things, and I hate it. I feel it is too late to be a part of her life, she is already grown up, she probably even has a date," she said with a heavy sigh.

"She does, she sneaked off while we were in town, and you are not too late, she wants you to stay, Regina. You and only you are her other mother, what helped making her. I don't even get how you two made it, but it has to be true love and great magic in the picture. When I looked at her I saw you, it was like glimpsing into the past you, and she is so full of life. You can teach her so much, so she will be a just ruler. Please don't turn your back on her, you will regret it and you know it," said Emma, cupping her cheek and stroking it with her thumb.

"I knew it, that she had found someone. Not that I will stop it if it makes her happy, I am not my mother after all. I would like to know her too, for better and worse, but what about you and Henry?" she wondered, looking right into her green depths.

"We will stay for a while longer, him and me could rule in your absence if you want to stay behind, it is either that or mom and dad," she laughed, knowing Regina hated that idea.

"Over my dead body they will, I am fine with you doing it though," she pressed a kiss to her cheek. Emma smiled saying, "Go, talk to her, tell her you will stay as you both know you will."

"I suppose that much is true, I can't believe how fast they grow up," said Regina with a heavy sigh. She sometimes still longed for the years when Henry was just a young boy.

"I know, Henry bought a horse by the way," Emma said, making Regina roll her dark eyes saying, "When will he ever get enough of those."

"Seems like the whole family has a thing for horses," Emma laughed as Regina broke free from her. She smiled leaving the library as Emma shook her head. Regina would do the right thing she knew.

* * *

Regina found her Elsa by the window in her room, she was looking out over her kingdom with a stern expression on her face. She of course heard Regina come inside, but she didn't turn, just said, "Regina."

"Elsa," said Regina, knowing she was not intruding, before she added, "I will stay, but on a few conditions."

Elsa turned looking at her surprised, she had assumed she would get a no from her. Still she retorted, "Which are?"

"I want my own room, at least in the start, if I say I want to be alone, I am granted to be left alone. I want freedom to go and see Emma and Henry when I want for as long as I want, and if Nora want to come she is to be allowed that. I want to be included into every aspect of her life from now on, no matter how small. And if you hide anything from me ever again I will leave not just you, but Nora and never ever look back," she finished in a serious tone.

"Those demands are reasonable, you can have any room you want in the whole castle," Elsa said, and smiled a little.

"Alright, then I want one in the west wing, close to the library," said she honestly.

"I shall make sure one room there is prepared with whatever you should need, is there anything else?" Elsa wondered, cursing inside she didn't want to stay closer to her.

"Not at the moment now, where is our daughter?" Regina wondered.

"History lesson, she should be done by dinner, she was anxious to see you when she came back from town. She however knew the importance of the lessons so she did not argue when I told her she had to see you later," said Elsa with a smile.

"Or is it that she does not dare to argue against," Regina wondered, raising her brows.

"I am not like Cora, I do not use magic against her, or raise my hand," Elsa argued, her smile vanishing.

"Fine, where is this lecture taking place if I want to listen it?" Regina asked polite, she couldn't look at the other woman right now. It was still so much to take in.

"In the royal library in the northern wing," said Elsa, she couldn't deny Regina to see their daughter. The brunette gave her a nod and left the room. Elsa took a deep breath as she sat down on the bed. It should have come as no surprise that Regina had chosen the room as far away from her own as possible. Maybe it was to not be tempted to do anything stupid. The blonde didn't really know, nor did she incline to ask her about the matter. She knew Regina to withdraw and be hostile if she pushed too much, she already had shown that in the past. Then again that was not so strange considering that she had had a broken heart more than once. She thought about a conversation the two had had back in Storybrooke what seemed like forever ago.

_"__You make me feel so alive," Regina whispered, stroking some of Elsa's blonde hair away from her face._

_"__As do you with me," Elsa said and smiled back at her, they were naked in Regina's bed. Her fingers tracing every inch they came across. She giggled with happiness, the happiness she had not allowed herself to feel for so very long. The task of finding Anna seemed so very far away. It was pushed off somewhere in the distance. Right now she was locked away with this enchanting woman. _

_"__If I hadn't known better I would have said I was in love with you," Regina spoke with a smile. It was funny, she wasn't even afraid of saying it. _

_"__Awww Regina," Elsa whispered, a tear of joy running down her cheek. _

_"__Mark me Elsa, so the world will know I am yours, always," Regina had said, looking at her with shining eyes. And so Elsa had used her icy powers to make a snow crystal on her shoulder. Not too big, but still visible if anyone cared to look closely._

Elsa wondered if she still had it or if she had removed it in time. She could have easily done so with her own magic. No she figured, she wouldn't have done that. She most likely just wore clothes so no one would ever see it. She took a deep breath before going to find some servants to ready the room for the other Queen.

* * *

Regina soon found the library and sneaked inside. She could hear Nora's soft voice tell her teacher about the kings and queens before her, about what their work areas were and what they believed in. Regina tread into the room saying, "Professor may I?"

"Yes, of coure, your Majesty," he bowed in her presence.

"So you know about your mother's side, but not about mine. My father prince Henry was fourth in line for the throne, his father king Xavier was married to Queen Penelope, I never met either. He took over after his father King Gustave. My father being a prince but never king was quite wealthy. In his spare time, he was breeding horses. We had servants and all I could ask for growing up, he was a kind and good man. My mother was neither; she was after power. I in time I killed my father to get a curse that could procure my happiness. Before that I married king Leopold, a man old enough to be my father, if not even more so by age. I saved his daughter, now Queen Snow White by the Western Lands, then used a long time blaming her for the loss of my Daniel. While I was Queen I was mostly after revenge for what she did to me when she was younger. But in addition I kept on breeding horses and sold them, I was into trade, I tried to lower the taxes from my people, and I protected the wolves. A favor for a friend you might say," she finished.

"What was the saying of your family?" Nora asked, looking at her. She had heard tales about the cruelty of this woman, of course she did not know all the king's and queen's around. Still she knew most.

"My father's was; All the wealth in the world cannot buy you love, family or health. These are more important. Treasure your love always, stand by your family and make sure to always be in good health. That way you will be the riches in all the lands," said Regina with a sigh.

"Wow, he sounds like a good man, he would have made a good king I am sure," said Nora and smiled at her.

"That he would, I had two. One was; I always felt there were two kinds of people. Wolves and sheep - those who kill and those who get killed. It is safe to say I was the first. The second was; Love is strength, it gives you power to overcome anything, to fight anyone, to feel safest in the darkest of nights. If you lose that you will be the loneliest person in the world, because without it you are nothing. I did not believe in love back then," Regina said with a heavy sigh.

"And now?" the young girls asked curiously.

"I ask you not to push on the matter as I don't know anymore. I can tell you I will stay and get to know you, but I cannot promise to love your mother as much as I once did," she said truthfully.

"Awww Regina," she hugged her hard, and the older brunette held on to her. She smiled knowing there was no purer love than the love of a child, and she was blessed with having two. Nora let her go saying, "I knew you would stay, once we meet, I just knew."

"Hmm," Regina pressed a kiss into her dark strands and smiled at her. This time she knew life would be better. This time she would get her happy ending, perhaps with Elsa only in time, but she had both Nora, Henry and Emma. That was sufficient for now. She wrapped an arm around her shoulder slowly walking from the library. From a distance Elsa was watching a smile on her lips, her lover had finally come home.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading this story, feedback always be appreciated :o)


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